Chapter 603: Stand on Ideals, Embrace Reality

But honestly, a huge boost like that wasn’t something I was likely to get. It would definitely cause a lot of controversy.

It was better to just lay low and grow quietly.

“Enough about that. What about you? Is there anything you want to say to me?”

Lin Chu’s voice carried a teasing tone.

Gu Jiayan pursed her lips, a youthful levity finally showing in her expression. “I do. A lot. When are you coming back? I’ll tell you everything then.”

A faint smile touched Lin Chu’s lips.

‘So… reserved.’

‘To be honest, Gu Jiayan really is a breath of fresh air—the type with universal love in her heart. But without me backing her up, she’d be pretty helpless.’

As for him, there was no longer any issue with returning to China, not now that he had the National Gift Porcelain in his possession.

He thought for a moment.

“Around the New Year. I’ll come back then. That’s only about a month away.”

“Okay. I’ll wait for you.”

“Okay, let’s leave it at that. I’m going to bed.”

Lin Chu was the one who ended the chat. He had wanted to be a little more forward, to tease the “Female Bodhisattva,” but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

‘Her life is too simple, while mine is too complex.’

‘The right person should be in the right place.’

‘And for her, the charity foundation was a perfect fit.’

‘Of course, thinking more pragmatically, if industries were to rise and fall in the future, if laws and policies were to change, if inheritance taxes or other levies were to be implemented, then the foundation would transform from an idle piece on the board into a critical one.’

…

「The next day.」

As usual, he rose at five in the morning. After working out with Wu Hao and eating breakfast, Lin Chu sat down in front of his computer.

He rubbed his hands together, ready to do something big.

—Entering the capital markets.

His mindset on the matter had undergone a complete one-eighty.

From outright rejection, to gradual acceptance, and now to actively embracing it…

To be honest, he felt a bit forced into it, but it also meant that his understanding of “the rules” had deepened.

Capital is a tool. Finance is a weapon.

There was no need to tie one hand behind his back.

He had wasted some time and taken a few detours, but now, it was time to officially begin.

His money, both flowing in and out, needed a more legitimate channel.

And the capital markets were that great sea.

He had spent the last while studying, reading numerous books and consulting Bian Gaige and his team whenever he had questions. He wouldn’t dare say he was an expert, but he had at least learned the basics.

He’d heard that the capital markets tested one’s character, that they went against human nature… And frankly, Lin Chu was eager to put that to the test.

His accounts were already set up.

As for what to buy, he hadn’t decided yet.

But for that sort of thing, there were plenty of professionals.

For example…

The one currently in Dubai.

“Brother Chu, I brought him.”

Lin Chu had only been sitting for a moment, browsing the news and the general state of the global capital markets, when Liu Chenhui’s voice came through the security intercom.

“Bring him to the study.”

Lin Chu responded.

A moment later.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Someone knocked gently on the study door.

Wu Hao opened the door.

Liu Chenhui and another bodyguard stood outside, flanking a man in a sharp suit.

The man was tall and slender, perhaps in his forties, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. A hint of caution lingered in his eyes.

The moment he saw Lin Chu, a smile spread across his face.

“President Lin, a pleasure. I’m Zhao Peng.”

The man who was once, on paper, the “Richest Chinese,” spoke with a humble smile.

He had just been released from prison and was now staying in Dubai, essentially taking refuge.

Being in Dubai, he had naturally heard the recent news about Lin Chu. After all, Lin Chu was currently one of the men making the biggest waves in the entire city.

Even if his on-paper wealth was far from what had been publicly revealed, his trajectory and future potential were impossible to predict.

He had men, guns, and money.

And a high-tech, low-altitude aircraft company.

Now, Zhao Peng appeared somewhat deferential.

“You’re here! Please, come in. Hahaha, I’ve been meaning to meet you. I heard you were in Dubai, but I haven’t had a free moment. Now that it’s the end of the year and things are wrapping up, it’s the perfect time to get acquainted and build a connection.”

Lin Chu walked to the door, speaking with great warmth as he shook the man’s hand and invited him inside.

‘Setting aside judgments of right and wrong, this man was an absolute legend.’

‘Early on, he’d sold his house to go all-in on Bitcoin, then founded an exchange, issued his own currency, and at one point even became the world’s “Richest Chinese.”‘

‘A hardcore gambler.’

‘Incredibly decisive.’

‘Add in good timing and a bit of luck, and he actually pulled it off.’

‘Though he was facing plenty of trouble now, he had at least reached heights a more conservative life could never have afforded him.’

‘Besides, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse.’

‘The world has always rewarded those who have ideas, take action, and are willing to gamble and accept the consequences.’

With these thoughts in mind, Lin Chu led him inside, poured tea, and sat down across from him, ready for a proper chat.

In fact, there were quite a few people like him around the world.

And Lin Chu had a few vague ideas for this group of people.

“What have you been up to lately?”

Lin Chu asked with a casual smile as he brewed the tea.

“Resting. Recuperating. Not busy at all, quite the opposite. If President Lin’s people hadn’t found me at my home, I wouldn’t have gone out at all.”

Zhao Peng said nonchalantly.

He still held some resentment about that.

But it also served as a testament to Lin Chu’s power.

His own residence was well-hidden, yet for Lin Chu, finding someone meant tracking them right to their doorstep. Clearly, his roots and connections in the area ran very deep.

The way he felt now, facing Lin Chu, was probably similar to how Lin Chu had felt when facing Liszt.

A man, possibly more powerful than himself, had sought him out…

Cooperation was a possibility, but only on the basis of mutual value.

But before any cooperation could happen, a pecking order had to be established.

This was a universally applicable rule of human nature.

However, compared to Lin Chu’s unyielding nature, Zhao Peng was far more slick and socially adept.

Lin Chu naturally caught the hint of complaint in his words but offered no explanation. He simply poured him a cup of tea. “I sought you out mainly to cooperate. We have a common enemy. You’ve probably heard about what happened to me—a while back, I was set up by some guy from the United States and landed in a bit of trouble. To be frank, after it happened, my people went to New York to buy a prison. I was prepared for the worst.”

“Of course, that’s not necessary anymore. I resolved it through certain channels.”

“But I can’t just let this go.”

Hearing this, Zhao Peng’s eyes flickered. These words set the tone for their meeting—cooperation—and he relaxed slightly.

After all, kicking a man when he’s down is also human nature.

However, he didn’t let his guard down completely.

When you’re trying to make it abroad, the people you have to watch out for the most are your own countrymen. They’re often the ones who’ll screw you over.

“I heard. Tactics like that aren’t uncommon. Who was it? Did you get a clear picture of them?”

He asked, feigning ignorance. In reality, he already had a rough idea. Liszt wasn’t a household name, but he was one of the early tycoons. His name just wasn’t as prominent these days, as he’d long since become one of the “big backers behind the scenes.”

Once public capital goes underground, it’s often impossible to know what they’ve done or what cards they’re still holding.

Lin Chu looked at him with a cryptic smile. “He’s a dead man walking. It doesn’t matter… I invited you here today to make some money together. Interested?”

‘A dead man walking?’

Zhao Peng was startled.

He looked at Lin Chu, a little nervous.

He didn’t know that Liszt was on his deathbed, about to die of natural causes. He interpreted Lin Chu’s words in only one way: a physical elimination.

‘This guy’s methods are really wild.’

‘So brazen.’

‘So arrogant.’

Zhao Peng was shaken by the sheer audacity of this young man.